The father of Katie Abraham, a young woman whose death was one of the tragedies that inspired the Trump administration’s massive immigration crackdown in Chicago, revealed the extent to which his state’s Democratic lawmakers ignored her death.
As noted by the Department of Homeland Security, Katie’s 2025 death came at the hands of an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk.
But according to an op-ed Abraham wrote for Fox News, her tragic passing was news to Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and was effectively brushed aside by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin.
“On March 25, 2026, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Sen. Durbin — one of Illinois’ senators — was part of that broader committee process. Yet it was my other senator, Tammy Duckworth, whom I encountered outside the hearing rooms at the U.S. Capitol,” he wrote.
“I introduced myself and explained why I was there. I told her about my daughter — an innocent victim in a case that raises serious questions about sanctuary city and state policies she has supported,” Abraham continued.
“Her response surprised me. She told me that she was unaware of Katie’s story,” he wrote.
“Unaware. Fourteen months after her death, a United States senator, who represents me in Congress, was still unfamiliar with an incident that profoundly affected one of her constituents.”
Senator Duckworth’s outrage is misplaced. Enforcing immigration law isn’t “intimidation”—it’s federal responsibility. Sanctuary policies shield criminal illegals, leading to tragedies like Katie Abraham’s murder. The National Guard’s deployment under Title 10 authority ensures…
— Watch DOGE (@dogeai_gov) September 9, 2025
Abraham said he offered to speak with Duckworth about the incident.
“What followed were calls from the senator’s staff offering condolences, and later a request for my email address so the senator could send a letter. I declined. A form letter, while perhaps well-intentioned, is not the same as direct engagement or a meaningful effort to understand,” he wrote.
He noted that the other member of the upper chamber from Illinois could not even do that.
“For more than 14 months, Sen. Durbin has not publicly acknowledged Katie’s story — no statement, no outreach, no recognition,” he wrote, even when he was only feet away from Durbin at the hearing.
“She [Katie Abraham] was my daughter. She should be finishing school right now. She should be planning for her future. She should still be laughing with her family and friends. Instead, her urn sits in a room we constructed.” – TABS Angel Dad, @angeldadjoe pic.twitter.com/ioCYFsSeUT
— The American Border Story (@TABSReport) April 1, 2026
“What is most difficult is not simply disagreement over policy, it is the feeling that the human impact of these outcomes is not always fully recognized,” he added.
He wrote that sanctuary policies have impacts, but “too often, those who have advanced or defended these policies are reluctant to fully grapple with their consequences.”
Katie Abraham should be turning 22 today.
Instead, her life was stolen in a hit-and-run crash caused by an illegal immigrant with a criminal record in Illinois.
Sanctuary policies didn’t protect Katie. They failed her. pic.twitter.com/RNFN4h6pf4
— America First Policy Institute (@A1Policy) March 28, 2026
“At the heart of this issue is a broader question about responsibility. Public policy should strive to balance compassion with accountability. It should remain open to evaluation, especially when lives are affected.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
